John Calvin Commentary Joshua 6

Now Jericho was straitly shut up, etc. Jericho is said to be shut up because its gates were not opened: in wartime, cities are guarded with more than usual care. It is added, by way of emphasis, that they were sealed or locked up, as if to say that the inhabitants were vigilant, so they would not be taken by surprise.

Therefore, since it could not be taken by strategy, the only hope of taking it was by open force. This serves to display the goodness of God to the children of Israel, who would have been worn out by a long and difficult siege if a substitute had not been quickly provided from heaven.

Meanwhile, there was a danger that, being forced into a corner, they might be consumed by lack and famine, as there was no way of obtaining food and provisions in a hostile region. The Lord, therefore, so that they would not become discouraged before one city, assisted them by an extraordinary miracle and opened an entrance for them by throwing down the walls, so that they might afterward have greater confidence in attacking other cities.

We now see the connection between the first two verses, in the first of which it is said that Jericho was shut up and the children of Israel were thus prevented from approaching it, while in the other God promises that He will take it for them. He makes this promise in order to prevent them from tormenting themselves with anxious thoughts. In short, God, by this easy victory at the beginning, prevents them from becoming discouraged in the future. We, at the same time, perceive the stupidity of the inhabitants, who place their walls and gates as obstacles to divine omnipotence; as if it were more difficult to break up or dissolve a few bars and beams than to dry up the Jordan.

And you shall compass the city, etc. The promise was, indeed, fitting and sufficient in itself to give hope of victory, but the method of action was so strange as to almost destroy its credibility. God orders them to make one circuit around the city daily until the seventh day, on which they are told to go around it seven times, sounding trumpets and shouting. The whole thing looked like nothing but child’s play, and yet was not an improper test for trying their faith, as it proved their acceptance of the divine message, even when they saw in the act itself nothing but mere disappointment. With the same intention, the Lord often, for a time, conceals His own might under weakness and seems to play with mere trifles, so that His weakness may in the end appear stronger than all might, and His folly superior to all wisdom.

While the Israelites thus abandoned their own reason and depended implicitly on His words, they gained much more by such trifling than they could have by making a forceful assault and shaking the walls with numerous powerful siege engines. It was simply necessary for them to play the fool for a short time and not display too much sharpness in making anxious and subtle inquiries about the event, for that would have, in a way, obstructed the course of divine omnipotence. Meanwhile, though the circular movement around the walls might have provoked derision, it was later known by its successful outcome that God commands nothing in vain.

There was another cause for anxiety and doubt which might have crept into their minds. If the inhabitants of the city suddenly sallied out, the army would, without difficulty, be routed while it was proceeding around the city in long, straggling lines, without any regular formation that might have enabled it to repel a hostile assault.

But here, also, whatever anxiety they might have felt, they needed to cast it upon God, for sacred is the security that rests on His providence. There was an additional trial of their faith in the repetition of the circuit of the city for seven days. For what could seem less fitting than to tire themselves with six useless circuits?

Then, what use was their silence, if not to betray their timidity and tempt the enemy to come out and attack besiegers who seemed not to have enough spirit to meet them? But just as worldly people often, by rash, meddling fervor, throw everything into confusion, the only part God here assigns to His people is to remain calm and silent, so that they might better accustom themselves simply to carry out His commands.

Here, too, it is worth noting that the instruments given to the priests to blow were not the silver trumpets kept in the sanctuary, but merely rams' horns. The sound of the sacred trumpets would certainly have inspired more confidence, but a better proof of obedience was given when they were content with the common symbol. Moreover, their movements were so arranged that the greater number (by which is meant the armed men) went before the ark, while those who usually accompanied the baggage followed. It was their role to ensure that the rear did not fall into confusion. As the term congregating applied to them was obscure, I have translated it with the corresponding term usually employed by the Latins. Some think that the tribe of Dan was employed in this way, but this is uncertain, as they were not then arranged in the manner usual on other expeditions.

And it came to pass on the seventh day, etc. Here, too, by leading the people around the city so often, God seemed not only to keep the matter in suspense but also purposely to toy with the miseries of the people, who were exhausting themselves to no avail. For why does he not order them suddenly to attack the city?

Why does he keep them in their continued silence, even until they were weary, and not allow them to open their mouths to shout? But the blessed result of this endurance teaches us, that there is nothing better than to leave the decisive moments and opportunities for action at his disposal. We should not, through our haste, try to anticipate his providence, for if we do not submit to it, we obstruct the course of his agency.

Therefore, while the priests were sounding their horns, God ordered a corresponding shout to be raised by the people. In this way, he could demonstrate that he is not pleased with any impulsiveness that people display on their own initiative. Instead, he above all things requires a disciplined zeal, the only rule of which is not to move tongue, foot, or hand until he orders. Here, the rams’ horns undoubtedly represented his authority.

And the city shall be accursed, etc. Although God had determined not only to enrich his people with spoil and plunder, but also to settle them in cities which they had not built, there was a peculiarity in the case of the first city; for it was right that it should be consecrated as a kind of first fruits.

Accordingly, he claims the buildings, as well as all the movable property, as his own, and prohibits the application of any part of it to private uses. It may have been an irksome and grievous task for the people voluntarily to pull down houses in which they might have comfortably lived, and to destroy articles which might have been important for use.

But as they had not been required to fight, it was necessary for them to refrain, without grudging, from touching the prey, and willingly give up the rewards of the victory to God, as it was solely by his nod that the walls of the city had fallen, and the courage of the citizens had fallen along with them.

God was contented with this pledge of gratitude, provided that by this the people quickly learned that everything they called their own was the gift of his free liberality. For with equal right all the other cities might have been doomed to destruction, had God not granted them to his people for dwellings.

Regarding the Hebrew word חרס, I will now only briefly repeat what is said in other passages. When it refers to sacred offerings, it becomes, as far as humans are concerned, equivalent to abolitions, since things devoted in this manner are renounced by them as completely as if they were annihilated. The equivalent Greek term is ἀνάθημα, or ἀνάθεμα, meaning set apart, or as it is properly expressed in French, interdicted.

Therefore, the exhortation is to beware of what was under anathema, since that which had been set apart for God alone had perished, as far as humans were concerned.

The word is used in a different sense in the following verse, where caution is given not to place the camp of Israel under anathema. Here its simple meaning is, excision, perdition, or death.

Moreover, God destined vessels made of metals for the use of the sanctuary; all other things he ordered to be consumed by fire or destroyed in other ways.

So the people shouted, etc. Here the people are praised for obedience, and the faithfulness of God is, at the same time, celebrated. They testified their fidelity by shouting, because they were persuaded that what God had commanded would not be in vain; and He, by not allowing them to lose their labor, vindicated the truth of what He had said.

Another virtue of no lesser value was displayed by the people in despising unlawful gain and cheerfully suffering the loss of all the plunder. For there can be no doubt that in the minds of many the thought must have arisen: "For what purpose does God choose to destroy all the wealth?"

"Why does He envy us what He has given into our hand? Why does He not rather gladden us by providing us with the materials for thanksgiving?" Dismissing these considerations, which might have interfered with their duty, it was a proof of rare and excellent self-denial to voluntarily cast away the spoils that were in their hands and the wealth of a whole city.

The indiscriminate slaughter, making no distinction of age or sex, but including women and children, the aged and decrepit alike, might seem an inhuman massacre, had it not been executed by the command of God. But as He, in whose hands are life and death, had justly doomed those nations to destruction, this puts an end to all discussion.

We may add that they had been endured for four hundred years, until their iniquity was complete. Who will now presume to complain of excessive rigor, after God had so long delayed to execute judgment?

If anyone objects that children, at least, were still free from fault, it is easy to answer that they perished justly, as the race was accursed and reprobated.

Therefore, it ought always to be remembered that it would have been barbarous and atrocious cruelty had the Israelites gratified their own lust and rage in slaughtering mothers and their children; but that they are justly praised for their active piety and holy zeal in executing the command of God, who chose in this way to purge the land of Canaan of the foul and loathsome defilements by which it had long been polluted.